Upcoming Workshop Schedule

Over at my Writing Workshop site, I've posted two new classes.

1. How To Write A Killer Synopsis--includes training on formatting, Voice, and how to identify the plot arcs and emotional landmarks to include in a synopsis along with three in-depth critiques of your synopsis and subsequent revisions. Registration closes February 14th.

2. Query Workshop--includes training on how to format a query letter, how to target the right agents for your manuscript, how to write a stellar hook, and multiple in-depth critiques of your query and subsequent revisions. Registration closes February 28th.

3. Critique Docket: For those interested in purchasing a 25 page manuscript critique, I have five slots remaining on my February critique docket.

Goodbye, Baby Girl

I'm heartbroken to announce that my gorgeous Tinks died early this morning, surrounded by me and the boys. She'd been sick for two weeks, and while we had signs of improvement over last weekend, she suddenly went downhill again yesterday. She was my loving, cuddly girl, and I miss her terribly.

Regular blogging will resume on Monday. I don't have it in me to write anything this weekend.

Throwback Thursday

For today's Throwback Thursday post, I'll take you all back to a day where blowing up, running in traffic, and finally using a police baton to my advantage were all definite possibilities. As the 9-4 has now been put out of its misery, I don't have to worry about repeating this sequence of events any time soon.

The Usual Suspects!

Part of the Cupcake Characters idea is for me to interview authors and make a cupcake in honor of their latest book. (They can work with me to pick a design. Thank God I don't know any intrepid Were-platypus authors out there.)

The interview itself will be conducted by their choice of one of the blog's Usual Suspects. They can choose to be interviewed by:

1. The blog's mascot: the Were-llama

2. Captain Jack Sparrow

3. The Spork of Doom

It's highly likely a few authors I approach will run as fast as they can in the opposite direction. More cupcakes for the rest of us that way. :)

A Compromise?

My friend and traitorous Were-platypus fangirl, Kerry Allen, offered this compromise to the Captain Jack Sparrow vs. Wally the Were-platypus dilemma yesterday on her blog.

What do you think?

Consider Your Options

The Cupcake Characters poll is still alive and kicking. Team Were-Platypus has taken the lead with 50 votes (as of this post), but they've also admitted to stacking the ballots. Team Jack Sparrow is fighting to narrow the gap at 31 votes. They've admitted to cheating too, but hey! He's a pirate. He's totally down with that.

I thought perhaps some visual aids might help in deciding the outcome. Will each team please present their mascots?

TEAM WERE-PLATYPUS



Name: Wally the Were-Platypus
Occupation: Fighting underwater crime
Hobbies: Eating sushi, listening to show tunes, and polishing his bill
Special Attributes: He can turn into a duck-billed, web-footed platypus at the drop of a hat. Or when he wants to show off for the women's' swim team.


TEAM JACK SPARROW



Name: He's Captain Jack Sparrow, savvy?
Occupation: Pirate
Hobbies: Stealing ships, seducing women, and outsmarting everyone.
Special Attributes: Um...have you looked at his picture? Plus, he carries a sword and he knows how to use it.

A Harbinger Of Things To Come

1. The Cupcake Characters survey is well under way, and I find the results ... surprising, so far.

2. How is it possible that the Were-platypus cupcake idea is beating out Captain Jack?

3. I mean, he's CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW. Savvy?

4. If you haven't yet voted to correct this wrong, please do so.

5. Of course, it doesn't escape my attention that many of you are voting for the Were-Platypus (Thank you SO MUCH Shannon) just to make my life difficult.

6. Someday I hope to return the favor.

7. Daredevil tried to get past me in the kitchen the other day, and we sort of danced around each other until he finally looked at me and said, "Go on with your bad self."

8. So, I did.

9. The January query workshop starts today.

10. I always love diving into other writers' projects and helping them make their queries shine.

11. Always makes me wish I was a literary agent so I could request manuscripts.

12. Of course, I'd totally suck as a literary agent because a) I live far too much of my life inside my head to ever be responsible for the details involved in contracts/submissions/what have you for someone else and b) if an editor turned down a project I loved, I'd have a difficult time restraining myself from hauling out my Spork of Doom.

13. Soon I'll begin this year's Get Me Started creative writing exercise on the blog.

14. For those who are newer readers, this is where you leave me a first sentence and I turn it into a short piece of fiction on the blog.

15. Given the plethora of creative cupcake ideas you gave me *cough Were-Platypus cough* I'm looking forward to the Get Me Started sentences.

16. I'm thinking about doing an Ask the Were-llama segment too, which means I'll need creative questions from you.

17. Notice, I'm NOT doing an Ask the Were-Platypus segment.